I am experiencing too much excitement not to share it. But first, as a measure of how much I’m loving what we’re doing at the moment, a nerdy secret from the vault: ring it in close…
I keep a diary. Have done for the last 20 years. Not a thick book I fill each year with innermost thoughts and secrecy, but a standard fridge calendar whose daily two-inch box I fill with a few lines on the previous day’s action in about font 4. (Tis a really interesting thing to read back over key moments in life years later). Here’s a picture to give you an idea how that looks:
Just so you know, a red letter day is a very good day, with standout things occurring. Sabbaths are very often the best day of the week, as you can see.
Now, here’s a glimpse of the month of November:
Other than a couple of ordinary days when we’ve been very tired, or driving a long distance, this has been one of the most spectacular months of the 593 that I’ve enjoyed on the planet so far.
‘What’s made it so tremendous?’ I hear you ask. The Maker Heals program in South Australia was an absolute gem: the Holy Spirit seemed to blend the gospel and health messages to a bunch of new Adventists and a few non-Adventists as well as the rest of the group. We had tough questions, deep sharing, lots of walks looking out over the sea; it’s hard to explain how special ten days can be. Many commented on ‘the love in the room’. Lots of change and commitments made and many ongoing conversations reflect that the spiritual and lifestyle changes have gone home and are working. It was, and is, wonderful.
And then we came home. A ten hour drive left us a bit flat, but we perked up when we saw what had been occurring at Granya in our absence. Just humble changes of flooring and some second-hand appliances installed, but they showed that community helpers were getting involved and we were so encouraged.
We quickly prepared for a working bee, and instead of pouring all our resources into the shed, it was decided to make the property and lodge spicker and spanner (?) than it’s ever been. So, with a dozen (mostly young) helpers here for a long weekend, a whiteboard-filling list was compiled and gradually ticked off. The junkpiles are gone, ceiling painted, orchard pruned; the woodpile has all but disappeared into the Great Wall of Firewood; the berry rows are formed and the list could go on. We even had a plumber volunteer his time and drive four hours to knock off some jobs that would otherwise have cost a bomb. In the front lounge, all traces of the hail damage are gone, with new floor coverings and ceilings. It even looks sharp, a huge improvement – how about that hailstorm being a blessing in the end!
When you top all this labour with the camaraderie and banter that accompanies our mob, plus the worships and meals together, this was a wonderful four days. The energetic team even visited our (Brooks) cottage in Granya and blitzed the backyard, much-needed given that we haven’t done more than mow it since we bought it in June.
What generosity, to fell megathistles and tidy trees, and the only payment they wanted was raiding the berry bushes! A good deal, and I felt that joy that many in our community will experience when we go out and help them, and see how much transformation can happen in a few hours. So glad the team practised on us!
We figured the diary entries would lose the red after that, but the preparations for Mrs Choi and Pr Kim running their program at Granya have kept things flowing. Ramps installed on the lodge’s many step doorways, a full kitchen overhaul, banana drying, mower servicing: working bee leftovers are still doing us good.
And now that Mrs Choi’s The Maker Heals program is about to start, I expect to keep that red pen busy on the diary for a few days yet. Please pray for those attending and the Korean team as they lead out. Please remember our upcoming Music Camp in your prayers and also our shed building, which, with the footings poured, will be taking shape over summer.
Stay safe and drop in for a visit (text Danny first – 0403 775 774) if you’re driving past during the holiday period.